


Tailored For You

by theclichefortunecookie



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 19:03:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13417647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theclichefortunecookie/pseuds/theclichefortunecookie
Summary: Keith had no idea that a broken microwave could have such an affect on his life.





	Tailored For You

                Keith was alone and had been rearranging the same shelf for, he checked his watch, two hours. Needless to say, he was bored. Nobody had come in to the store all day; although, considering that it was a Tuesday morning, this wasn't entirely unusual. What was unusual though was that Keith had forgotten his DS. Normally he'd pass the time by playing it underneath the counter at the register. The hours would pass feeling like minutes and all he had to do was watch the door for occasional wandering customers. He thought longingly to his bedside table where it was dutifully charging, while he was here, rearranging shelves.

                He'd started by separating new games from used games in the PlayStation 3 games section, then he'd organized those two separate sections into alphabetical order. It had been relatively easy. Maybe Hunk had already done it recently. Either way he'd moved on and was now almost done with the Play Station 4 games. He contemplated which section he would do next; the Nintendo section was smaller than the Xbox, but the games' cases were vastly different. He'd have to plan out the spacing so the WiiU games wouldn't run into the Switch's.

                Oh god why did he care so much. Keith ran a hand down his face, his face scrunching into a silent snarl. He just wanted his DS. He knew Coran and Hunk would appreciate the layout, but this was so not his thing. He just didn't want to get in trouble in case a customer came in. If someone saw him passed out on the counter because of the mind numbing boredom of working in an empty video game store, he'd get a write-up for sure.

                Not that he wanted someone to come in. He got morning shifts for a reason. His general callousness and inability to make small talk didn't exactly add up to a great salesperson. At this point he was more like the store's guardian. The mall opened at 10, so while the sandwich shop might be busy at opening, _The Coalition's Game Store_ was most definitely not. Keith was here, as he was most every day. Mostly because nobody else wanted to be. He had met his other coworkers. Hunk, Lance, Pidge, they were ... social. Pidge enjoyed "testing" games with Lance or even customers, Lance seemed to be here mostly to practice flirting, and Hunk just loved to talking about games, consoles, mods, or whatever the customer was searching for. Keith honestly didn't know how he even got this job. Sure he loves videogames, but he doesn't know anything besides his own experience with them. He has no idea what to suggest to a mother looking for a fun, but educational game for her 11 year old. Keith sighed to himself, the holidays were coming up and soon he'd have to deal with customers no matter what time he was scheduled.

                The Xbox games he decided as he pulled himself up from squatting in front of the Play Station section.

                Just as he stood he saw motion out of the corner of his eye. A person. Probably. The occasional dog had wandered into the mall before.

                "Welcome in," he said turning to face the customer, attempting to school his face into a pleasant expression. Hunk had suggested it.

                "Hi, uh," the man said. He was taller than Keith, with a white streak in his hair and a scar across the bridge of his nose. He had an undercut and was wearing a suit. Wait. Keith did a double-take. Normally, people who came in here were of the graphic tee variety, with the occasional hipster-chique types. But here was a man, dressed in a _very_ well-fitted suit. Keith was staring. Keith was most definitely staring, he could not figure out why someone so well dressed, someone who looked like they belonged in a magazine, was in his store. At 12:30. On a Tuesday.

                "... you know, Katie's brother, and ours broke so I figured I'd ask if you mind if we, or well I guess just me today, use it."

                _Oh shit,_ he'd been talking this whole time, Keith had just been ogling, no not ogling, _comprehending_ , his attire.

                "Uh..." Keith stated lamely. Katie's brother? Who was Katie? Something broke? Keith was definitely going to look like an idiot. Wait. He was holding a Cup O' Noodles. A light bulb went off in Keith's head. "You'd like... to use ... the microwave?"

                "Um, yes?" the man replied. "If that's a problem, it's alright, I know that if your manager wouldn't approve I get it-"

                "No, no! It's fine!" Keith hurried, accidentally interrupting him. Well, he did have a point, maybe Coran wouldn't want strangers in their break room, but Keith could ask later. "Sorry, I just didn't quite understand."

                "Oh, thanks," he smiled, Keith was going to miss more of his words again, at this rate. "Is it just back this way?"

                "Yeah," Keith pointed lamely, "go ahead."

                The stranger smiled at him again, walking to their backroom. Keith was unsure if he should follow him, would that be considered weird? Would he need help finding the microwave? No, that was dumb. It was right on their counter. He was already too far away. It would just be awkward now. Keith opted to just sit behind the counter, pretending to be immersed in a catalogue. He realized he hadn't even asked his name. He assumed he worked at the mall as well. Otherwise, why would he need the microwave? Keith hoped Coran wouldn't mind. He was sure another store would do the same for them.  He might be over thinking this.

                "Hey Keith."

                "Hey Pidge," Keith replied, semi-distracted.

                "Oh, hey, Shiro!"

                _Oh shit_ the dude he had let in to they're break room. He didn't even think to warn Pidge. Wait, Pidge knew his name. How did she know his name? Keith lifted the catalogue higher hoping to hide his confusion and also the fact that he was listening.

                "Hey, Katie," Keith could hear the smile in the man's, _Shiro's_ , voice. _Wait did he just call Pidge Katie?_ "Did you come straight from school? What's with the backpack?"

                "Yeah, I just had a morning lecture today, but I hoping to get some work on a project done while it was slow. How about you? What are you doing here?"

                "Our microwave broke across the way, Matt said you guys had one too, so I figured I'd ask if I could heat up my lunch here versus walking to the food court."

                "Oh yeah, Matt's been complaining about that at home."

                "Of course, he is," Shiro said fondly. "Anyway, I should go before my food gets cold, otherwise I'll have to come right back."

                "Alright, see ya around, Shiro," Pidge waved as Shiro exited. She turned to Keith. "I'm surprised you made a friend without the rest of us around," she teased.

                "He's not my friend," Keith replied without thinking.

                "Geez, defensive much, it's not like he's a goblin."

                "No, not a goblin," Keith said dismissively. "How do you know him?"

                Pidge jerked her thumb towards the door, "He works with my brother, _Altean Suits_ , you know? Right across from us?"

                "Oh. Well, why did he call you Katie?"

                "Keith." Pidge was looking at him like he was a moron.

                "Yes?" he replied hesitantly.

                "Katie is my name."

                "But... Pidge is your name."

                "Pidge is my nickname, Katie is my real name."

                "How did I not know this?"

                "Honestly, I don't know."

                Keith and Pidge looked at each other a beat longer, Pidge broke the silence by laughing.

                "I can't believe you thought someone would actually name their child Pidge," she said through her snorts.

                "Shut up," Keith pouted. "How did he know your real name when I don't?"

                "Well, first off, I think you're the only one who didn't know that, even Lance knows," Pidge paused, "I think. Second, he's a family friend, how do you think Matt got a job at a suit place?"

                "Makes sense."

                "And you should have worked out a better deal!"

                "Deal?" Keith raised an eyebrow.

                "Yeah! They have their own private bathroom! We could totally have ... like haggled! Or something!"

                "Pidge, there's a mall bathroom that we can use."

                "Yeah, but that's four stores away and next to that weird weed/graphic tee/joke shop."

                "Fair enough. I guess I'll bring it up if he comes in again."

                "He probably will," Pidge said, bringing her knuckles under her chin, thoughtfully. "Matt says he eats this gross mac and cheese concoction like every day."

                Keith raised his eyebrows at that, "He had a Cup O' Noodles today."

                "Eh," Pidge shrugged, "I guess you'll just have to ask next time."

                "Don't you still need to clock in?"

                Pidge's eyes widened and she bolted for the computer in the back.

                Keith shrugged. At least he wasn't still rearranging shelves.

 

                "Welcome in," Keith said without really glancing up from his DS. He was able to see motion in the front of the store and rattled off an automatic reply. If it wasn't actually any one, well, he'd be the only one to know.

                "Hi again," a familiar voice said.

                Keith paused his game, glad he was just walking through the map in the game. Looking up, the man, Shiro, was peering at him, the white tuft of his hair slightly falling in front of his eyes. He had a shy smile that made Keith's breath catch. He was wearing a different suit still just as form-fitting and lovely as the first, however this one had purple undertones. Keith may not have even noticed if they weren't different colors. Keith glanced back to his face after taking in his exquisite frame and realized he had forgotten to reply.

                "Hi"

                Was he supposed to say anything else? Did Shiro say anything other than a greeting? Keith mentally kicked himself for doing this again.

                "Did Coran give a verdict on the microwave situation?" Shiro said with sarcastic seriousness.

                "Um...," Coran usually only worked weekends, Keith hadn't even run into him, yet. He did doubt that Coran would say no, but Pidge did ask..., "he says it's fine, on one condition."

                Shiro raised an eyebrow in lieu of asking.

                "He said in return we would like uh.... Bathroom. Privileges?"

                Keith was not good at haggling.

                "I'll run it by my manager," Shiro said seeming to really be contemplating Keith's terms, "but I don't see a problem with it!"

                He then lifted a tupperware container he'd had at his side and gestured towards the back. "If you'll excuse me." Shiro smiled and left, giving Keith a wonderful view of his backside. Keith caught himself staring and his cheeks burned. He shook himself and unpaused his game, willing away his embarrassment.

                Shiro had the mac and cheese today. Keith wondered if it would be strange for him to ask about that. He was exactly curious. He just... wanted to talk to Shiro. Which was unusual for Keith. He normally _didn't_ want to talk to people. But this man was... undeniably attractive and his faux seriousness about this arrangement between their stores humored Keith.  Maybe he was over thinking things, it easily could just be that he was lonely and didn't talk to anyone until Pidge came in. It was just chance that Shiro's schedule was similar to his. It didn't have to mean anything.

                Shiro exited the backroom breaking Keith's train of thought. "Thanks, again." Shiro extended his hand, "I don't think I ever actually asked your name. Sorry."

                "Oh, Keith," Keith quickly shook the offered hand, "I'm Keith."

               Keith realized that the hand he was holding was metal. Keith gripped Shiro's hand tighter in his surprise and blurted, "You can stay if you want."

                Shiro just blinked at him.

                "Um, I mean for lunch that is, there's no one else in the back, or really out here," Keith released his hand. "If it saves you time, I don't mind if you eat ... here."

                Keith wanted to explode.

                "Sure, I would enjoy the company," Shiro smiled shyly again. Keith melted inside, just a little. "Matt and Allura are always too busy with their own projects to spend time with me on my break. Thanks!"

                Keith pulled another stool into up to the counter, "Matt and Allura?"

                "Yeah, my coworkers, they're both designers in their own right. If there aren't any customers they'll just get lost in drawing and measuring and everything."

                "What about you?" Keith asked, hoping not to overstep.

                "Me? Well, they tend to just rope me into being a glorified mannequin. I have been stabbed by so many sewing pins, it's not even funny."

                "You don't design yourself? I mean you must know everything about it working there."

                "Well, not really. I just know how to measure people and make them look good. I don't really have anything I want to experiment with. I just like, helping people to look their best." Shiro said timidly.

                "That's cool of you," Keith replied lamely. He tried to smile in a way that showed he meant it.

                "What about you?" Shiro said gesturing to the forgotten DS in Keith's hands. "What's your store like?"

                Keith glanced down to the DS in his hands, "I just like games."

                Keith shrugged. He didn't know how to explain that he found them soothing, that they were a way of being alone but not really. He didn't really care about the highscores or the competitiveness, he just liked how it felt... to just... play. Keith felt, though, that if anyone could understand it could be him.

                Shiro chuckled at that. Keith chickened out, "What kind of things do your coworkers design?"

                "Oh, well," Shiro contemplated, "Allura is very much a traditional designer. She enjoys making beautiful things, sometimes in ingenious ways, sometimes in unorthodox ways. Mostly, she wants to make practical designs for anyone and everyone. She's definitely got her own unique style thoug."

                Keith nodded along, thinking that he might pity Shiro's experience as her model.

                "And Matt is more mad scientist with fabric just being his chemical of choice. He loves... finding things that are not supposed to be clothing material and trying to figure out how to make it clothing material."

                He could feel Shiro's grimace at the memory of what he's had to wear before he even looked at his face.

                "I'm sorry."

                Shiro just laughed again, "It's really not that bad."

                "If you say so," Keith said skeptically.

                That seemed to only make Shiro laugh harder.

**Author's Note:**

> this work is for hirasenshi on tumblr for Voltron Secret Santa. I apologize so much for being so late, but I hope you can enjoy this anyway. I'm going to post the next chapters over the weekend I just want to reread and make sure i didn't make any sill mistakes! thank you for being so patient with me!


End file.
